Magnificent! We all knew the story, yet director Kenneth Branagh still had the audience eager to see it unfold as witnessed by the applause at the end of this masterpiece. The regal sets, bizarre costumes and jaw dropping special effects make this fairy tale almost a reality.

In the latest trailer for the film, the swoony prince slips his big, strong hand around Cinderella's and draws her close. His eyes burn with purpose, his passion palpable. My husband gets the same look in his eyes when the Thanksgiving turkey is set before him in all of its basted glory.

New York has seen recent Macbeths by the handful, including two star-topped Broadway productions in the last year, but they are best forgotten. Now we have Kenneth Branagh's Macbeth -- starring Branagh and Alex Kingston as his lady, directed by Branagh and Rob Ashford -- and it is monumental.

How can any of us find the words to wish a happy 450th birthday to the single most significant, elegant, funny, wise and human writer ever to use the English language? That's what I, and countless others, have thought and think of Shakespeare.

While Paramount says the next movie will be released in 50th anniversary year 2016, it still has no director attached and no release date. But why worry after seeing how well the Jack Ryan franchise is being handled?

In Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Chris Pine is the fourth actor to take on the role of Jack Ryan. He follows in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. In many ways the best has been saved for last.

Kenneth Branagh's Thor had a certain playfulness that pitted the ultra-serious world of Asgard, land of the Norse gods, against 21st-century USA. Now director Alan Taylor has taken the reins of the franchise and, with Thor: The Dark World, drains the fun from it.

I want to applaud Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing for all the things it does right, and I will. But Whedon's side project -- between his various TV and Marvel-related entertainments -- gets one thing unfortunately wrong: It's never very funny.